Mr Regan, who runs child care facilities in Formby, said: “When she said it was a twister, I thought she had been watching The Wizard Of Oz but all the clouds started swirling around us.

“Jasmine was panicking, almost crying and saying ‘Daddy, we’ve got to go’. As it came towards us I thought it was too close for comfort.

“It looked as if someone had got a paint brush and gone through the black clouds with it.

“We were by a bridge, clinging onto the stone, hanging on. I’ve seen dust devils before but never anything like this.”

People claimed to see objects inside and near the twister and others reported seeing it whip things into the sky.

A spokeswoman for the Met Office said the clouds become a tornado when they hit the ground.

She said: “Funnel clouds are essentially a column of air that rotates really quickly. They are a really violent area of low pressure and can reach speeds of 100 miles an hour which is why tornados do so much damage when they hit the ground.

“There are probably about 33 a year in the UK.”

l See Friday’s Southport Visiter for more twister photographs and reports. Did you see the twister? Did you capture it on film? Ring Visiter reporter Jo Kelly on 01704 398229 or email visiternews@southportvisiter.co.ukl See Friday’s Southport Visiter for more twister photographs and reports. Did you see the twister? Did you capture it on film? Ring Visiter reporter Jo Kelly on 01704 398229 or email visiternews@southportvisiter.co.uk